The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1887-11-24
ARECORD OF HoRRORs.

son, writing to the Memphis Ap-
peal, concludes very ably as fol-
lows:
Seventeen convicts were seen
one day, seen reeling through
the streets Of Jackson, each with
finger or toe frozen of. They
were from the farm Of the regular
" retained attorney ofthe chief OF
the lessees, who is even now de.
Tending that chief from the charge
of having assassinated a young
editor, who had exposed the cruel
ties of the system and the oorrup-
ton of the lessees.
A convict escaped, was pardon
ed and sued a sub-lessee. The suit
was tried before the Kinds county
circuit court at the January term,
1887. Tie testimony built up the
following CHASTITY story:
The prisoner, in company with
band Of other oonvicts, was car
ried, in the winter of 1885, to
work on a plantation. They were
housed in what is called shack
house, or stockade. This unique
building is made by driving young
saplings, stripped of their bran
ches, in the ground, side by side,
and is rooted with similar poles.
The shack-house generally eucloses
a space Of ground seventy by thir-
ty feet, and in It are herded from
seventy-fve to 100 eonvicts. In
the center is one small stove
sometimes in the winter there is
fire in il, sometimes there is not.
Always the winter wind can sweep
with ease through the one or two
inches Of space between the poles,
and with what icy agony TO the
thinly clad convict can be imagin-
ed. Around the pole walls OF the
house are arraged hunks made Of
two unplaned boards. On them
the prisoner slaves sleep, with but
one poor blanket TO cover them,
even in snowiest weather. Moth
ing is between them and the rough
boards but their clothing. Such
a thing as a mattrass or pillow is
almost unknown TO these "kind
humanely treated" oonvicts, and
would be a reckless extravaganza
that would shock the sub-lessee's 5
thrifty soul.
Ina house like this, the convict
who brought the damage suit,
Evans Forbes, lived during the
winter of 1885. His clothing,
too, was insuficien and during
the cold weather bis shoes disap-
peared; whether stolen by fellow
prisoner or guard is not known.
is known, however, that II was
long before he was supplied with
another pair. After a wintry
night Of agony in the shack-house,
he and the other eonviets were
wont TO be driven out to work at
the first gray streak Of dawn, Of
tentimes each step Of their frozen
and bleeding feet staining the
ground with crimson. One by one.
Evans Forbes saw his companions,
who, but the September before.
were strong, hearty men, with the
blood of health beating riotous in
pulse and heart, give up the weary,
cruel battle against cold and toll,
and lie down to rest and to die, un-
til the horse-lot, where their un-
tended oorpses were buried, was
full Of convict graves and bones.
His hand, too, was frozen, and he
determined it were better to risk
sudden death in an attempt TO es-
cape, than stay where death,
though slow, was sure.
He escaped, and sought the Gov
ernor at the capital of the State.
He unwrapped the dark grimed
cloth from his frozen hand, and in
piteous appeal exhibited his gan
grenous sore. The Governor gave
one glance, and signed the pardon
which made him a free man. These
facts were brought out before the
jury, and a verdict for damages
against the euh. leseaaa affaafs THAR